Burnt Marigold
by Arrysa Clair
Summary: A decade of loving and caring gestures between them, all without saying their confession of love. Tsuna's heart breaks for not confessing when he still had a chance. Now, waking up as a teenager with his transferred memories and feelings intact, he would do anything even become a murderer and finally say the words he should have spoken a long time ago. "I love you." R27.
1. One

**A/N: This occurs the morning after Reborn left on chapter 409. **This story had been sitting on my laptop since 2015, since I have not made any progress for a long chapter I decided to post this in a **drabble-like format** (_though it's more like one scene per chapter so it won't be long and the length may vary_). Do refer to my A/N's to see when that scene happened because I think, there will be timeskip. Finally I'm posting a normal R27 story! Enjoy!

**Notes****: Marigold, **Is orange in color. It is popular most likely because of their bright color and ability to bloom all summer long. **Tips to caring for Marigold, **It can grow in pretty much any soil, although they need lots of sunshine ;D

This story is not beta-edited in any way or form.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn so no suing.

**Burnt Marigold**

**One**

The brunet woke up with a gasp, his mind reeling with overload, heart beating against his ribcage that he could hear it next to his ears, and body shaking from tremor that assaulted his body. Tsuna felt small, _vulnerable_. He was shaking and gasping for breath. He was… He was… _confused_.

He stared down at his shaking knees, abruptly glaring at his own weakness before he lifted his hand and learned it was shaking as well. However, his hands… his hands were _small_.

He suddenly doubled over, there was a clog on his throat and he felt like gagging on his own breath. Tsuna's eyes felt burning and stinging but there were no tears. Tsuna felt _weak_ that he stood up on his shaky legs only to stumble on his quivering knees. He somehow managed to grab the nearest object which was the chair before he could completely fall. However, the sudden grating noise made him wince.

The brunet stayed like that, his hand gripping the chair as a support while trying to gain back his body's control. There was a painful pinning as if his very veins were electrocuted with pin-prick accuracy. Felt his head were being pried open with a drill on his spine. Tsuna didn't like the pain and disorienting feeling, but he couldn't help his body's response.

He waited. He gathered his strength, his wits, and the brunet gripped the chair too tightly as if he wanted to crush it with bare hands. Then he was moving; a slow measured step forward and he wheeze for air once again, his body doubling with pain.

A sudden spike of pain drilled at the forefront of his skull. It made him grasp his sweaty forehead, clutching it while willing his body to not fall. This was worse than a hangover much much _worse_. The brunet took a deep shuddering breath before he shakily exhaled. He opened his eyes once more, peering at everything around him with blurry eyes.

Tsuna's sight was dancing that even if he blink he couldn't get used to the sight before him. It took him a moment for his eyes to focus and see his surroundings. And when it did, the brunet froze; his eyes widened as he studied every crook and cranny of the room. There was a muted silence on his ears. He couldn't hear anything only feel that he was walking forward with unsure and shaky legs.

He gripped the blue curtain, the warmth on it sending a shock on his clammy hand. There were sunrays hitting his face that he tilted his head. His heart was beating with apprehension at the action. As he parted the curtain, bright light assaulted his sight. It was almost blinding that he had to squint his eyes, lower his chin, and let spiky hair shield his eyes.

There was warmth from the sun around him.

Tsuna carefully lifted his gaze upward. The sight of the tall tree and clear blue sky greeted him. Then noises blared on his ears that he groaned and took a couple shaky step back. Despite how sudden the noise was, he still registered the fact it was children laughter and the familiar names were uttered by childish voices that he leaned over the balcony. His expression set with complete disbelief and something akin to _hope_.

_No… But…_ _– could it be..._

"The ball is mine! Gyahahaha!" A boisterous voice echoed and Tsuna could see as a child wearing cow onesie held a pink ball in a possessive embrace. In front of the cow-suited child was another child wearing red Chinese garb, hair pulled in a ponytail.

"Meanie Lambo! The ball is not yours!"

Between the two children was a slightly older child wearing normal clothes. He was looking between the two and hands raised in a pacifying manner, "Lambo! I-pin! Please don't fight."

"Shut up, stingy Fuuta!" The afro-haired child argued then shoots a glare at the older child. He stuck his tongue out at the little girl in front of him before hiding the ball on his back.

Lambo… I-pin… Fuuta…

Tsuna realized what he was seeing. They were the younger version of his family and they… they were arguing over a... a _ball_.

There was only one conclusion… he must be in the past.

Tsuna bit back a curse from his lips when his mind was assaulted once more. It felt like torture inside his head that his body wanted to shut down and his mind to unconsciousness.

The pain was too much.

Instead of letting his body succumb to the exhaustion and pain, he took a shaky step back and slowly takes in everything around him.

Everything was achingly familiar…

Then the brunet was sitting on his chair, opening and rummaging through his drawer to look for anything that would tell him today's date. That was when he caught sight of a small hand-held mirror. His hand fumbled as he pulled it from its container with shaking hands and as he faced it, he could see his reflection.

Reflected on the mirror were his face; chubby cheeks, and doe-like eyes flickering with inner sky flames upon critical closer look. He looked pale and sweaty.

Tsuna looked _young_, in a way he hadn't been for years.

He opened his mouth then closed it, his reflection did the same. All these actions, he could see in his own reflection and he saw the minute his caramel brown eyes shifted into glowing orange that he could think his eyes were _burning_.

Suddenly unbidden tears pooled on his stinging eyes not only because of the pain but also of the emotions that wracked his small body. The mirror fell with a clatter on the desk. Tsuna lowered his chin closing his eyes.

A smile formed on Tsuna's face then he was giggling. Head almost thrown backward as thick fat tears streaked from his eyes unto his chin, dripping silently and unbothered despite the girly giggling. Tsunayoshi's heart was bubbling with many emotions that he lost track. Then finally, the brunet was crying with all the emotion he could feel in his very soul.

While mouthing heart-felt mantra.

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you."_

The brunet's prayer was answered, and he won't let this chance to waste.

Tsuna lost him once, he knew himself that his sanity would be lost among the oblivion of the darkness, submerged in the darkest prison of Vendicare if he let this given chance slip.

This time, he would save Reborn and finally say the words he should have spoken a long time ago.

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**A/N: Kindly leave a review on your way out**


	2. Two

**A/N: ****This is set before first chapter. Next chapter will be set after chapter one**

I have no updating schedule and I'm busy once again with real life so I will update slowly and irregularly so please bear with me. Thank you for all the feedbacks (reviews, favorites, and follows), I hope you continue giving feedbacks to this story.

Thank you **Korazan** for helping me out with this story, please check out her profile for KHR fanfictions :D

**Two**

"You've been itching to do something so here is your mission, Reborn." The brunet with spiky hair sitting behind an expensive and beautiful mahogany desk spoke. His amused voice echoed in the confine of the four cornered office room. Calloused long fingers received the file handed with graceful professionalism but the dark obsidian eyes betrayed the amusement that was his true emotion about the mission itself.

The brunet saw it all that he couldn't help but let out a snort, knowing that his advisor would use the mission given as a way to cause chaos wherever he went.

However, there was still an unpleasant feeling coming from within. As if the other heard his sudden downturn of thought, there was a flick on his forehead that he let out a yowl before rubbing the sore spot then yelled with no heat, "What was that for, Reborn?!" A relieved smile played on his lips. It was so like Reborn to do something like this when he was worried.

"You're worrying, Dame-Tsuna." The rich Italian voice of his tutor spoke that his cheeks redden both from the voice. Meanwhile, his heart skipped a bit and the unpleasant feeling were replaced with fluttering that it does _things_ to his stomach.

He had to turn his head away so the hitman couldn't see his effect on him when he answered.

"Of course I am."

There was an amused chuckle that reverberated inside the room that he couldn't help but turn towards the source and see his crush chuckling at his own expense that he couldn't help but hide his face on his hand.

He tried to calm his racing heart but it seemed it was still intent on winning a tournament because it only got faster.

The brunet straightened his back before facing his tutor once again. Only to see, black and so warm eyes and a handsome smile directed to him. If cupid did exist he must have been hit with multiple arrows at that moment because all he could imagine was those same eyes staring only at him.

_Reborn is really so handsome._

_I could continue looking at his beautiful eyes and be in his strong arms all day long._

Tsuna had to forcefully cough in his hand to dislodge the romantic scene dancing on his mind and to halt his enthusiastic imagination. But it didn't erase the red hue from blossoming on his cheeks and for his heart to beat faster it changed location next to his ears.

His friends were right; he was far in too deep could never get out even if he scratched with tooth and nails. Not like he had thought of trying because he loves Reborn with all his heart. Reborn wasn't only attractive but his chaos-inducing personality and their deep understanding of each other makes him fall in love deeper. Reborn stayed by his side through thick or thin ever since and had accepted his proposal to be his advisor.

His thoughts soon wandered when he would have the gut to ask for a marriage proposal in the future. Tsuna asking for Reborn's hand and the other saying yes would be a dream comes true. He could already hear the wedding bells, and maybe Reborn would agree for both of them to wear white wedding gown with orange and yellow adornment.

_Thump thump thump._

And there went his face heating up that there was steam coming from him and the red hue climbed until the tip of his ears.

"Oy, Tsuna." Rich voice of his advisor spoke his name, there was a grumble quality to it that he didn't mind – and the brunet had to blink his eyes back to the reality. Only to see that Reborn was facing him in a close proximity and Tsuna could clearly see those beautiful obsidian eyes up close that he stared mesmerized on the handsome being in front of him.

He could see worry on those eyes, that he couldn't help but give a loving smile to the other and unconsciously reach for Reborn's bouncy side curls, fingers delicately touching it and subconsciously knowing that he would be reprimanded for touching Reborn's precious curls in any second now. But he didn't care. He wanted to show what he was feeling on his gaze, his smile and his touch even if he hadn't spoken the words yet.

…_I love you, Reborn._

Surely, someday he would say his confession but now it was still in his head and still unheard.

The raven haired man remained standing, letting Tsuna's fingers touch his curls, unwilling to break this moment between them by retaliating as he watched transfixed on the brunet's caramel brown eyes that had glowed with orange hue.

_I will be waiting for you, Tsuna._

Time ticked away between them as if this precious and beautiful moment had been frozen. However, Reborn breaks it when he pulled back, free hand rested on his fedora then he tilted slightly to hide his eyes from view and with an amused voice he spoke, "I better be going now Tsuna, to finish this _mission_." His amusement on the chaos he would spread palpable on his tone that the brunet couldn't help but pull back his hand and let out an exasperated laugh.

It reminded Tsuna to focus on the now instead of daydreaming, there would be time when he could make his daydream a reality once he get courageous enough to confess.

"Please don't cause too much chaos, or the paperwork would be unbearable."

Tsuna reminded grumpily as per routine, knowing that his tutor wouldn't heed his warning. There was no answer from his remark, a sign that his tutor would stay true to himself and not listen to him as per usual but the brunet could sense there was fond amusement on his advisor's visage.

The brunet slumped on his chair as if fed up but both of them knew this was all for show.

Reborn snorted at his action then he turned back, heading towards the door and to finish the mission as soon as he can while creating chaos against the small time Famiglia that dared voice out their opposition of the Vongola's way of returning to the old ways.

At that moment that his tutor turned on his back, the fluttering happiness at the pit of his stomach were replaced by ice that the brunet immediately stood up, panicked and worried stance replaced his relaxed body as he called out, "Wait!"

Without waiting for the raven haired to stop, Tsuna bolted from his position and grabbed Reborn's sleeves to stop the other from going.

Reborn on the other hand had paused when the brunet had called him out and next thing, his student had gripped on the hem of his sleeve at the same time he turned for confirmation.

Tsuna's eyes were wide and his mouth hang agape at what he had done, but he ignored it in inspecting why he had reacted badly upon seeing Reborn left. It made him notice the buzzing of his hyper intuition had been there ever since he handed the mission file and now it had gotten louder that he couldn't ignore it.

"I-I'm," The brunet started but he pulled back when he saw dark eyes staring at him in worry. "Something is wrong, Reborn." He finally admitted.

Tense silence surrounded them, taking the happiness and love that had both surrounded them earlier. Tsuna's caramel eyes were directly staring on black obsidian eyes. Reborn could see worry for him etched on those eyes and face with clarity and he couldn't help his lips from quirking slightly into an understanding smile as he caressed Tsuna's cheek affectionately. "Stop worrying, Tsuna."

Tsuna couldn't help but lean onto the touch and his beating heart slowly calmed at the reassuring action of his advisor.

Then there was a flick on his forehead but it was merely a smack that there wasn't pain on it. It was Reborn's way of a reminder. "Don't fuss too much, Dame student of mine, did you forget you can track and contact me anytime?"

The brunet made a face but he gripped Reborn's sleeve tighter. "I didn't... Just please take care, Reborn." There was still a tense line on his shoulder, his eyes still filled with worry.

Reborn snorted at the brunet's answer, a way to say that he knew Tsuna had forgotten once again. Then with a loving and assuring gaze on his eyes said in lieu of answer to the latter words, expression set in a self-assurance and belief that he would return without fail. "I will return before you know it." Tsuna's stared on those eyes seeing the message that his worry receded from his gaze and returned within. The brunet let go of the hitman's hem with a nod and a genuine smile, warm eyes telling that he believed Reborn's words.

Reborn gave a pat on the brunet's hair before he turned and left.

_Please be safe, Reborn…_

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**A/N:** When Tsuna is lowkey hopeless romantic like his mother, Nana.

Omph, I'm gonna die from squealing like a pig while writing this v(/w/)v

Also it is the same mission that Tsuna gave that became Reborn's death sentence hahahaha.

**Kindly leave a review on your way out**


	3. Three

**A/N:** **This is set directly after first chapter**

**Three**

There was a knock on the door, the noise would have startled him when he was younger but now it didn't. It only made him wonder for a second who it was but it was immediately answered when the familiar voice of his mother called out. "Tsu-kun, it's late! You haven't eaten anything yet."

_Right, it was morning. He needs to move._

He scrubbed his face with his arms, and coughed to remove the clog on his throat before he walked and opened the door. On the way, he saw the mess, dirtied clothes and magazine littered that he felt a pang on his heart at the image in his head of his tutor calling him and punishing him for not cleaning his room. It was oddly confusing that his tutor was still not kicking him from the mess he – his younger self – had created.

Focusing inwardly, he sensed that his room was void of Reborn's presence. It answered why his tutor wasn't breathing down his neck right now.

He realized then that his reach of sensing presence had shortened a setback for having a young body. It looked like training was in order as it wouldn't do him any good if he was caught off guard.

Tsuna peered over at his mother who still looked the same last time he saw her. The door only ajar to let his head through because he didn't want his mother to see the mess in his room. "I will eat later, kaa-san." He answered her with a distracted smile, his focus was on sensing the familiar presence of his tutor but it seemed that Reborn wasn't upstairs. Maybe he was downstairs in the kitchen?

"Ara? If you say so, Tsu-kun. Be sure to eat soon, okay?" Nana answered with a smile on her face before she turned and head down the stairs.

Maybe his mother could confirm that Reborn was really downstairs. It would really help him if he knew so he could prepare himself more. The brunet suddenly called out to her just as she was descending, "Kaa-san!"

Nana stopped on her tracked before she turned to him, a question on her lips. "Tsu-kun?"

"Do you know where is–" His throat suddenly clamped down before he could mention his name. He coughed to remove the blockage on his throat. Then Tsuna continued lamely, as if he hadn't paused, head moving to look around him as if expecting Reborn to suddenly appear while his heart beat faster. "…Reborn? I haven't seen him anywhere."

Nana had confused look on her face before she answered, "Tsu-kun, did you forget that Reborn already left–––"

The second the word Reborn plus the harmful word of _left_ passed his mother's lips, Tsuna froze. He felt cold shiver slither from his toes to his heart in a suffocating hold. The brunet's mind connecting the word left to _gone_ that his thoughts returned back to his time where they held Reborn's… funeral.

Memories of cold arms wrapped around him, not letting go even after his life had departed, leaving the cold husk behind and yet still protecting him beyond death. It played on his head that Tsuna's ears rang like he was submerged in icy water.

A single word runs on his mind with horror and vulnerability. He couldn't help but whimper.

…_No!_

Then his mind instantly rebooted in accordance to his denial.

_Reborn didn't leave! Just when I get to… see him…again!_

The brunet's mind was spinning. There must be some kind of mistake because he had returned back in time, back to a time where he could save Reborn. The pain he felt that morning was real it meant they had succeeded on returning him to the past. But was… was there a miscalculation? Did the device they had created malfunction and he wasn't on his past but of a different world?

The brunet inhaled sharply. He needed to know if what his mother said was true. That Reborn left… once again. With wide eyes, he opened his mouth once more; asking for a clarification, while his heart pounding next to his ears. "Kaa-san… what did you say?" His mother remained oblivious to his inner turmoil.

"Mou, you're not listening, Tsu-kun," His mother said with an exasperated huff, there was a fond quality that he could detect but all he wanted was to hear her answer already. "I said that yesterday Reborn left for Italy because he was done tutoring you."

_Reborn… left yesterday…?_

Tsuna heard her words and he nodded half-heartedly, mouth already speaking while his mind was elsewhere, to the words she had spoken that played in repeat. "…Oh, I forgot, Kaa-san. I'll go downstairs to eat later." With that excuse, his mother responded with a healthy reminder, "Tsu-kun, don't push yourself too hard and don't slack off too much too, okay?" To which he answered with a robotic nod then she was moving once again while he stayed rooted on his position like a petrified stone.

Once her presence disappeared downstairs, he staggered on his weak knees. His hand on the wall was the only thing supporting him from falling.

_Why…?_

He shakily inhaled through his nose before he grasped his knee with a hand and a slap, awakening his suddenly jellified limb. Then he moved and closed the door with a soft click. Shaking fingers flicked on the lock of the knob before he half stumbled towards his desk, to the drawer. He needed to know today's date _now_. Tsuna was moving with panicked fervor and focused expression on his face.

All the while, his heart pounded against his ribcage, wanting to get out, wanting to burst, wanting to be free.

At the bottom of his drawer there was a calendar that he immediately scanned. It showed the current month but no specific date. He skimmed over the quizzes and test results he found. He noticed that there were a lot of circles, meaning that he was still doing poorly despite Reborn's constant tutoring. Right now, his grades were least of his worries when he knew he could reach an A without trying. However, his test was a gold mine.

He found the dates of his tests and all he had to do was sort it out along with his memories.

Eventually his shoulder sagged with relief, body feeling boneless at the relief coursing through his veins.

_I'm glad..._

Because now, he remembers the general time he was in. They had already removed the Arcobaleno curse and Reborn only… left temporarily. His advisor - tutor - Reborn would return in few days.

Tsuna took a shaky breath, lips pulled into a relieved smile and heart slowly calmed down.

_...What if his tutor didn't?_ A question appeared on his mind that he nibbled on his bottom lip before he opened his mouth, uttering the words with determination and belief, "No. He..." The brunet gulped down and said his tutor's name with closed fist, determination brimming on his eyes. "Reborn will return."

Tsuna have a week to pull himself together to handle his rampant emotions bursting from his very being. To gather information and ask for help with his goal, to reenact of what they had done on his past-future. And to prepare his heart, his everything to not be an emotional mess once Reborn returns.

This week was going to be a _long week_.

He couldn't help but sat down on the mattress, and the noise of spring echoed on the room. The brunet closed his eyes when he felt the stinging sensation on it. He pressed his palm on his eyes for added measure. Tsuna had to get used to his new time as soon as he can. It wouldn't do anyone good if he started mopping right now instead of planning for his goal.

Yet there was a sob trap on his throat, threatening to rise, to force up and to be heard. The brunet bit his shaking lips and scrunched his nose.

If he started crying then, it would be hard not to stop.

For a moment, he wanted that Reborn was here so he could see him once again, to settle his own heart, to see the new reality that Reborn was really here; _healthy_ and _alive_. But at the same time he was relieved that he wasn't because Reborn would demand answer that he didn't want to answer just yet. As it would remind him of his own failure as a boss, as a friend, as a family, for he had failed to save… Reborn.

However, his heart beats in yearning.

…_I miss you so much, Reborn._

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**A/N: Kindly leave a review on your way out too**


	4. Four

**A/N: **_Italized paragraphs_ are for flashback seen in Tsuna's perspective.** This is set the night after Chapter Three.**

**Four**

_Bang._

_A man fell to his demise and the killer who took the man's life looked ruffled. The raven locks sticking on every direction and the signature fedora was lost among the fight. Reborn still looked immaculate despite the fight that they were in that seemed never ending that the brunet could feel the fatigue getting to him starting from his short breath and the flickering of his sky flames. Still, the brunet knew that the hitman was getting tired of this fight, seen as how his sleeve has a bullet graze._

_Bang. Bang._

_Reborn moved fast, leaping and jumping from one place to another to shot down their enemies on the heart, and if some lucky person managed to dodge, they still received a second shot directed to their heart. The hitman's accuracy was perfect, every vital point was calculated to incapacitate and kill or kill. Tsuna could trust his back to be protected, despite the exhaustion, he gathered his sky flames on his hands and propelled forward, incapacitating his enemies with strong blow that would knock the breath from their lungs._

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

_The brunet jumped, protecting the not protected back of his tutor, blasting the enemy with his sky flames distance away from them and obviously knocked cold at the impact. He received a bullet graze on his cheek that he managed to sidestep at the last second upon noticing his intitution acting up. Still, Tsuna's intuition continued blaring that his heart skipped up in bad premonition. He turned at the snipper and saw the man shot down at the exact moment he turned courtesy of a bullet from Reborn's gun. Reborn shot the man from the back that the bullet left a bloody bullet hole on the body where the heart was once located and whole. Tsuna's eyes widened with horror that he immediately bolted forward, willing his sky flames to propel him faster, towards Reborn._

_Re-_

_"Reborn!"_

_Everything happened so suddenly and so fast that he couldn't process what happened after that. No, that was a lie; he knew what happened but he chooses not to relieve it._

_**"Dame-Tsuna, no. Tsuna, I-"**_

_The brunet didn't want to relieve the bittersweet words of confession. He didn't want to. He didn't want to__**!**_

_The brunet twitched from the pain and scrunched his nose from the disgusting smell of charred flesh..._

_Tsuna couldn't say, do, or move at all but he could feel, that awful feeling of coldness and pain around him, smell the metallic copper of blood filling his nostril, feel the once strong arm cocooning him in a protective embrace and hear the silence of the once beating heart._

_The brunet could only scream inside his mind._

_**"REBORN...!"**_

The brunet woke up with a breathless gasp and thundering heart. He sat up on the bed, feeling his aching body at the same time. He whimpered, his body wanting to curl into itself, his eyes oddly misty that Tsuna wanted to cry no– he was going to cry.

_Reborn... Reborn..._

He sniffled, arms crossing on his legs and head pressed on his kneecaps.

All the while, his heart beated so fast next to his ears, his shoulder quaking as his sniffles turned into low tremor through his body. His heart was bursting with overwhelming grief and regret at the same time.

_Reborn..._

_**"...no, Tsuna... I... lo—"**_

Immediately, there was a hand clamped on his mouth trying to contain the scream threatening from his throat to his mouth and teeth biting onto his own lips as another prevention, the action draw blood. The coppery taste of metal, of blood reminded him of another memory that he felt like he was drowning once again this time with hate.

_I will burn them, them, them**!**_

Caramel brown eyes turned into full blown orange eyes, it oddly burns with tears and sky flames from its owner. Because of the hate on his heart, the scream – no a sob trapped on his mouth escaped that he was crying once again. His eyes turning back to caramel brown color as the brunet sobbed.

His mind, ears and heart replaying back to the word of confession from his beloved Reborn.

_**"Tsuna... I... love you..."**_

Tsuna was shaking so much, he couldn't control his body, his emotions, and tears that ran through his being. He was moving his mouth, mouthing breathless and hoarse words of, pleas, regrets, and love, forgiveness, regrets, and pains. He was almost stumbling on his words, there was no coherency and he continued speaking at the silence of the dark night.

"...Reborn. Please don't leave me, come back to me, please, please...please, I'm sorry... It hurts... I... love... you too... I should have told you sooner... Please... I'm sorry..."

He couldn't think on where he was, that he had returned back in time, that he had another chance to save his advisor. All he could think was how everything hurt _so damn much_, felt the hole on his heart like it had been freshly carved.

The brunet cried.

Time had passed and eventually Tsuna's heartbreaking sobs died down and replaced by wheezing of air. It made him clutch his heart, feel his fingernails digging through the fabric to his skin as he tried to calm down. He did it like routine then he was gulping air through his parted lips.

_I have to stop and breath._

Tsuna thought back of the minor stinging pain of nails digging on his flesh, it grounded him back to the reality instead of the memory playing on his head.

_One...Two...Three... Inhale..._

Tsuna's heart slowly evened out, but he counted once more.

_One...Two...Three... Exhale..._

His shoulder sagged as he let out a long shuddering breath. There were still tremor but his emotions wasn't brimming by the lid anymore and it made him aware that there was a sticky feeling on his face. That he had to clean up the dried tears and snot.

He raised his arms to his face, only to come face to face that it was... _small_. With wide eyes, he looked around him and saw that he was in his room back when they were still residing in Namimori, the sight made him remember that he was in the past, that he could save his advisor this time and he have no time for breaking down just like he did earlier.

He immediately cleaned his face with his arms, there was still the feeling of tacky wetness under his eyelashes, on his eyes but he was relatively calm now. He inhaled through his nose before he spoke.

"That's right, I am here in the past."

He stood up on shaky legs, slightly trembling arms moving towards the foldable mobile phone on his desk. The sudden brightness of the screen made him squint but it gave him the information he needed, it was almost morning and knowing what he had awokened into. Tsuna didn't think his mind and body could fall asleep after that.

He walked silently towards the window and slowly opened to make it noiseless. Then without using dying will pill had ignited his sky flames.

He could do with an early morning excursion to gather his bearing. And when he had that bearing, he would gather informations and visit friends for help.

It was about time he make his move.

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**A/N: Kindly leave a review on your way out**


	5. Five

**A/N: ****This is set directly after chapter four**

**Five**

There were children laughter, Hayato and Takeshi exchanging heated words around him, and it was so rowdy and so _normal _that he couldn't help but smile as he went through the motion with expertise and not even missing a beat. Genuinely, Tsuna felt happy and fond of the rowdiness his family brought on his life. Yet his mind was elsewhere thinking of things that weren't appropriate of the happy scene before him.

The happy scene lacked many members of his family but the lack of Reborn's appearance was what unsettled him. It reminded him of his past-future without Reborn; in a way it reminded him of the people who took his Reborn away. It sparked the anger and hate on his heart where he wanted to wreak havoc on _them_ once again, to burn _everything they_ would have.

He shouldn't think of it right now because it would only taint the happy scene before him but the thought came unbidden that it only paused at the familiar voice of one of his best friend. The call made the anger on his heart dissipated and he seized the chance to lock away the negative emotion for later.

"Tsuna? Are you alright?" Takeshi had asked; confusion on his expression but sense sharp enough to notice the minor lapse on the brunet's control.

Among his family, Takeshi had always been the faster one to notice any discrepancy on his behavior after Reborn.

Hayato was spitting fire beside Takeshi. "Don't call Jyuudaime so familiarly, Baseball Idiot!" then directed a concerned question on the brunet, "Are you alright, Jyuudaime?" Tsuna could imagine puppy ears and tails growing on Hayato that he couldn't help but cough to hide the giggle that almost erupted from his lips.

He answered their concern with a disarming then bright smile on his face, "I'm alright, Takeshi, Hayato." For a moment he forgot that his younger self hadn't called them that, that when he realized what he said, he could feel he wasn't bother by it. Instead he waited for his friend's reaction at the familiarity without even asking for their permission.

As expected Hayato had blushed, with red face he stammered out, "Jyu-Jyu-Jyuudaime!" But he had no intent to deny his Jyuudaime from calling him and that was clear to the brunet.

On the other hand, Takeshi laughed merrily, a boyish grin on his face. His earlier concern vanished in the face of a big accomplishment. "Yosh! You finally called me by my name, Tsuna!"

Their reactions were the same they once had when he had started calling them by their first name. Even now and then his friends never changed.

(Except for the blood that would eventually stain their hands in the future. But it wasn't here and as much as possible he wouldn't include his innocent friends from the carnage he would later cause. It would be much too soon to take their innocence away.)

They had always taken care of him, especially the past two rough years where his heart shattered. And he didn't know where to start picking up the shard of his heart.

"_Tsuna-sama! Even without your permission we will do it because we know that Tsuna-sama's happiness is with Reborn-san! Tsuna-sama is happier with Reborn-san!"_

Tsuna still had a smile albeit a strained one on his face while memories of his future surfaced on his mind.

His family tried to mend his shattered heart. To an extent it helped and the revenge they had helped him with manage to stitch the broken pieces, but a hole had been carved on his heart and no amount of mending could fill that gap. He could still smile, he was still happy but his family wanted to see him happier.

"_Hayato is right, Tsuna. Even Kyoko, Haru and Bianchi-nee agreed with us."_

It was thanks to them that he was standing again in front of his younger family with a chance to do it right.

"Thank you, Hayato, Takeshi."

The brunet abruptly said with a bright smile on his lips, and eyes shining with inner sky flames. It was a beautiful sight that caught both teens off guard. Then they returned the same smile, initially confused what their friend meant then eventually realized what Tsuna must mean. It was, _thank you for being my friends and staying with me_.

"It is a great honor to be thanked by Jyuudaime!" Hayato looked at the brunet with sparkling eyes before it watered that he brushed with his arm. And he started banging his head on the floor in a dogeza with an overwhelmed expression on his face while yelling, "I can never thank Jyuudaime enough! I am failure as a right hand man of Jyuudaime!"

"You're welcome, Tsuna! And thank you too!" Takeshi answered with a red tint on his cheek and a hand ruffled his hair, a sign of embarrassment but he still smiled widely as if he had won a trophy. The brunet gave him a smile before he directed his attention to the silver haired then he crouched down, hands both on Hayato's shoulder to halt his action.

Hayato looked up at him with watered eyes both from shame and admiration, "Jyuudaime?"

"You're the best right hand man I could ever ask for, Hayato, and please call me Tsuna."

Cue the initially wagging tails and puppy ears to deflate at the mention of calling Jyuudaime by his name. Hayato's mouth hung agape, a refusal sure to come because right now Hayato was still hung up of not being in a first name basis with anyone. However, before it came out, Takeshi immediately hung his arm on Hayato's and Tsuna's shoulder before facing the bomber and said good naturedly, "As Tsuna's right hand man, you should follow the boss order, right?"

Hayato's vehement argument would have started however it stop on his throat when the brunet gave him the best puppy look he could muster and Hayato said with a blush, voice grumpy towards the baseball idiot invading his personal space but too blinded by Jyuudaime's look directed to him to say it. "O-Of course, I know!" Then continued; it was the answer for the brunet's earlier proclamation. "Thank you, T-Tsu-Tsu-Tsuna…-_sama_."

_Still the same huh?_ Tsuna thought fondly even when he smiled in agreement.

No matter, the time will come when Hayato would eventually call him without suffix.

"We should celebrate!" Takeshi suddenly proclaimed before dragging them both outside of his room, Hayato stumbling because he was still kneeling on the floor when Takeshi started dragging them toward the kitchen. Hayato kept yelling all the way, _"Baseball Idiot! Let us go or I will blow you to kingdom high!"_ To which the black haired teen answered with a hearty laugh, completely disregarding the threat.

As the cloud of hate and anger remained lock in the presence of his family. Tsuna could only think that he had been blessed with a loving family.

_Still... I wish you are here too, Reborn..._

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**A/N: **Our favorite hitman will return next ;D

**Kindly leave a review on your way out**


	6. Six

**A/N: **This chapter is in Reborn's perspective. I have Tsuna's version somewhere but I posted this against better judgment too. Anyways I'm sleepy so I didn't notice any mistake when I was editing this and thank you for all the reviews! Now I'm going to sleep zzz

**Six**

"Ciaossu!"

Reborn greeted after he shot the wall leading to Dame-Tsuna's room. He had a smile on his face as he held the gun on both his small chubby hands. Even before the dust dispersed he already saw the crouched, cowering position of his student that his eyes glinted with sadistic amusement. Dame-Tsuna would always be Dame-Tsuna even if his student had grown a backbone.

The raven haired hitman arranged his weapon, a customized shot gun that could fit even with his pudgy small hands, and he stuffed it inside the briefcase with skills that bespoke of familiarity. All the while letting his student try and fail to get his bearing at his sudden dramatic entrance.

After it was done, he stashed the weapon into one of his secret hidden compartment in Tsuna's room. He doubted Tsuna even knew the exact location of it, so no harm done on leaving his weapon unattended and it already had locking mechanism that only he knew. His partner Leon on the other hand crawled on his neck to his forearm before Reborn raised his hand, letting the creature perched on his fedora.

Reborn noticed that his student had been standing in stupor, still and silence like a statue. He inwardly add another list on his growing to-do activities of Tsuna's regimen because a Mafia Boss didn't lose their composure so easily like Tsuna did. However, it was buried next when Tsuna redirected his gaze to him. His beady eyes cataloguing what he was seeing but there was no denying he was seeing orange tinted caramel brown eyes.

_Sky flames._

Tsunayoshi's eyes were flickering with inner Sky flames. Not only that, Tsuna's eyes were wide with many emotions but the look of _longing_ on his student eyes was undeniably there and it made him stare suspiciously. It oddly made the tips of his finger twitch.

He watched as Tsuna tries to speak once only to close it shut. There was no flailing of arms nor scream of denial, only the silence remained. He observed and upon closer inspection the different emotions flitting on those almost glowing eyes were all directed to _him._

_Why?_

It made him perplexed. It made him want to question the brunet but Reborn waited for words, seeing the brunet was about to speak for second time but it seemed like Tsuna's throat had clamped down when the other tried to open his mouth to break the silence.

Then a flash of hope appeared on the brunet's eyes and the caramel-brown eyes turned into bright glowing orange eyes that he couldn't help but tense in anticipation. For Tsuna's eyes to glow with Sky Flames like that without even entering Hyper Dying Will Mode was breathtaking. It made him imagine all the endless possibility, the endless _potential_. And to think he was the one who raised this young man to be a great, powerful person. Reborn could only marvel how proud he was of his student. Despite the different imperfections he would, _definitely_, beat out of Dame-Tsuna with time.

Still, it didn't change the fact that as he observed, he could only conclude that something must had happened during the hitman's week-long absence for Tsuna to change.

Tsuna's weak limb reached forward unconsciously as if to grasp something, his whole hand shook with emotion before he let it fall on the floor. There was a certain resignation, hurt and longing at that action that Reborn picked up with ease as Tsunayoshi's shoulder sagged and his eyes dimmed.

Reborn took a step forward as a test and he inwardly frowned when Tsuna tensed. Not the usual tensing on knowing Reborn was planning something for the sake of chaos. It was as if Tsuna was afraid of the danger he, himself would cause when the World Greatest Hitman near him.

"Oy, Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn said in his squeaky childish tone. The other blinked up at him, body un-tensing and falling in a forced relaxed manner. The hitman was not blind to not see that it was an action of a person trying to look oblivious, hoping that the people around him wouldn't point the act out.

The hitman didn't shy away from this type of confrontation. But Reborn would go along because Tsuna was his student and not due to those eyes that were staring at him with _sorrow, relief, self-restraint _and _longing._

It didn't mean that he wouldn't show his displeasure because he would.

He made it known by kicking the brunet on the chin, letting Tsuna sail upward in the air before flopping on the floor in a mess of limb and a groan. The brunet rubbed his pained chin. However, instead of Tsuna glaring at him with accusing eyes, the brunet didn't. Tsuna continued looking at him with that _longing_ expression but now there was a small smile playing on the brunet's lips as if this was expected and welcomed it even. Reborn eyed his student in suspicious, cataloguing away on why Tsuna wanted this reaction. As far as the hitman knew, the Tsuna he knew before he left was one who didn't like being manhandled.

The silence were shattered when Tsuna finally spoke.

"Re…born." The brunet said softly. It was like he only mouthed the word on how low his voice was. It was like a croak of a pained man after he finally had his balm. Reborn hopped on his student's knees, staring directly above the brunet, wanting to know the result of his closer presence to the other.

The result was instantenous, Tsuna's eyes shone with emotion. His eyes looked like it would cry from only saying his name.

(Not that his targets could utter his name but when they knew it was him pointing the gun on their heart, they could only cry out his name in fear, hatred and even beg before they were gone. A mere finished mission among hundreds.)

"Reborn…" Tsuna's lips were pulled in a small smile, this time brittle like a glass as if it would shatter the next but it still lit up like a glowing candle on the dark. Like a lit candle that would sputter and die out when the wind knocked it over.

Tsuna's doe-like and wet eyes squinted as it peered, not down but on him, seeing all of him in entirety. The gaze wanted to trap him, to not let his attention stray onto others. But Reborn even if he was perturbed still saw the tense shoulder and the quivering arms; saw the obvious weakness the other was showing.

Reborn could definitely think that Tsuna was on the brink of something, most likely an emotional breakdown, due to relief and something else. He could identify what the something else but he'd rather not draw conclusion so early on, not when it didn't fit of what he knew of Tsuna for two years.

There was sniffle.

It was definitely an emotional breakdown yet Tsuna didn't bawl and cry. He remained staring at him, shoulder shaking and hands balled in a fist. Reborn didn't say anything but his stance oozes of approval, Tsuna was learning to control his composure. Though it vexed him on not knowing the real reason why _yet_.

"Welcome back."

Then his student flashed him a beaming toothy smile, eyes crinkled in a way to hide the tears that must had been shed before those words were uttered.

The words definitely took him aback but Reborn didn't let it faze him. He had two options, either to cause bodily harm at the other or go along with this current situation like he did earlier. If this was his usual day with Dame-Tsuna he would definitely choose the former but seeing those tearful and almost vulnerable expression on his student. Reborn wasn't that cruel to not return that warm gesture. He wasn't cruel to kick an already kicked puppy because it was Tsuna. Reborn can play nice if he wanted to and he will, for now, then plan to extract information later.

"I'm back."

Tsuna practically beamed with teary orange eyes when he responded along with a downward tilt of his fedora and definitely looked at him as if he was the world.

…_What happened during the week I was gone for Tsuna to look at me with... love on his eyes?_

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**A/N: Kindly leave a review on your way out**


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